Jaylen Brown, Aaron Nesmith talk Nesmith’s breakout game, work ethic and intensity

Aaron Nesmith’s big game on Wednesday was just the fruit of his intense efforts on and off the court.

First-year Boston Celtics small forward Aaron Nesmith was a critical part of the team’s 120 – 111 win over the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden Wednesday evening, his breakthrough game coming with a number of eye-popping plays reminiscent of a young Marcus Smart.

Known in his collegiate days at Vanderbilt as a knock-down shooter, Nesmith has increasingly caught the attention of his coach, teammates and the Celtics fanbase for his high-energy, athletic play that sees him diving for loose balls or leaping to block a shot instead. His indefatigable approach to the game on the court and his dedicated work ethic off of it have not gone unnoticed.

“He plays extremely hard,” observed teammate Jaylen Brown after the win over Charlotte.